Table Of ContentGadamer’s Ethics of Play
Gadamer’s Ethics of Play
Hermeneutics and the Other
Monica Vilhauer
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vilhauer, Monica.
Gadamer’s ethics of play : hermeneutics and the other / Monica Vilhauer.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 978-0-7391-3914-1 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-7391-3916-5
(electronic)
1. Gadamer, Hans-Georg, 1900–2002. Wahrheit und Methode. 2. Hermeneutics.
3. Play (Philosophy) 4. Other (Philosophy) 5. Ethics. I. Title.
B3248.G33W34375 2010
175—dc22 2010022960
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
To my parents,
lifelong dialogue partners
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction:AnInvitationto“Play” xi
PartI:Gadamer’sHermeneuticProblem 1
1 FacingtheInadequateModelofModernScience 3
PartII:Gadamer’sConceptofPlay:Re-ConceivingtheProcess
ofUnderstanding 23
2 IntroducingtheKeyofPlay 25
3 UnderstandingArt:ThePlayofWorkandSpectator 31
4 ThePlayofInterlocutors:UnderstandingasDialogue 49
PartIII:TheEthicalDimensionsofPlay 73
5 TheEthicalConditionsofDialogicPlay:BetweenIand
Thou 75
6 GenuinePlayinAction:TheModelofthePhilosopher 99
7 TheValueofGenuinePlay:TransitiontoPlayasaGuideto
Life 111
8 PlayandPracticalPhilosophy:PlayasaGuidetoLife 115
PartIV:WhenEthicalConditionsareLacking 129
9 TheProblemofClosedness 133
10 CultivatinganOpeningtoDialogue 139
Bibliography 149
Index 153
AbouttheAuthor 161
vii
Acknowledgments
Thisprojecthas gonethroughanumberofstagesonthewaytoitsfinal
form as a book. I’d like to offer my thanks to a number of teachers,
colleagues,andfriendswhohavesupportedthelifeofthisworkasithas
developed.
First,Ioffergreatthankstothoseteacherswhonurturedandcritiqued
my early work on Gadamer at the New School for Social Research. My
special thanks go to Richard Bernstein, who introduced me to Gadamer
and offered me much needed encouragement while I was writing a first
version of this book. His enthusiasm in the classroom, and his special
abilitytorecognize,andholdincheck,allsignsofsophistry,continuesto
inspire me in my thinking and in my own teaching. I also want to offer
special thanks to Alice Crary and Dmitri Nikulin for their thoughtful
feedbackon myearlydraftofthepresent work,andtheirwillingnessto
offerguidanceanytimeIneededit.
Second,IamgratefultomycolleaguesintheReligionandPhilosophy
DepartmentatRoanokeCollege,whohavesokindlyofferedtheirfriend-
ship and advice to me as I have attempted to learn how to juggle the
three ballsofteaching,research,andservice.MythanksgotoBrentAd-
kins, Jennifer Berenson, Paul Hinlicky, Marwood Larson-Harris, Gerry
McDermott, Eric Rothgery, Ned Wisnefske, and Hans Zorn. I am so
thankful for their collective wisdom, and the openness with which they
have welcomed me into the department. I am also grateful to Roanoke
CollegefortheFacultyScholarAward,whichofferedmethetimeneces-
sarytocompletemymanuscriptandprepareitforpublication.
Third,there isaspecialgroupoffriendsouttherethathasbeenwill-
ing to brainstorm with me, strategize with me, and read and respond to
my writing as the long process of this project has come to a close. I am
indebtedtothesepeoplefortheirthoughtfulness,time,andconversation.
ThankyoutoJakeVilhauer,BrentAdkins,LaurenSwayneBarthold,and
RachelNeithercutforhelpingmetoreachthefinishline!
Ipresentedmanyoftheideasfromchapter3totheGraduateFaculty
Women in Philosophy group at the New School for Social Research in
2004, and am thankful for the thoughtful feedback of that group. I also
want to thank the editors of the Women in Philosophy journal of the New
SchoolforSocialResearchforthepermissiontoreviseandusemyarticle
“UnderstandingthePlayStructureofUnderstanding:TheModelofArt,”
from the 2004–2005 volume of the WIP journal, in this book. I presented
ix
x Acknowledgments
manyoftheideasfrom chapter6totheXVIthInternationalSymposium
oftheOlympicCenterforPhilosophyandCulturein2005,andbenefited
from conversations with participants of the symposium. I thank the edi-
tor of Skepsis for the permission to revise and use parts of my article
“SocraticDialogueandtheEthicalConditionsofKnowledge,”fromSkep-
sisvolume26:1–2,2005,inthisbook.Ipresentedideasfromchapters3,4,
and 5 at the Eastern Division meeting of the American Philosophical
Association in 2008, and the Society for Phenomenology and Existential
Philosophy meeting in 2008. I am thankful for the insightful questions
and comments offered byparticipantsatbothmeetings,especially those
ofLaurenSwayneBarthold,whocommentedonmypaperattheEastern
APAmeeting.IthankDavidPellauer,editorofPhilosophyToday,forper-
mission to include portions of my SPEP paper in this book, which ap-
peared in volume 53:4 (Winter 2009) of Philosophy Today under the title
“Beyond the ‘Fusion of Horizons’: Gadamer’s Notion of Understanding
as ‘Play.’” Finally, I appreciate the permission that Continuum Interna-
tional Publishing Group has offered me to publish portions of Truth and
Methodinthisbook.
I want to thank, also, an anonymous reviewer enlisted by Lexington
Books, whose careful reading of the manuscript and tough criticism has
pushedmetomakethebookbetter.
I am grateful to Jeff Hofmann for creating the cover art for this book
withthesubjectmatterofitscontentsinmind.Iamparticularlythankful
forthesupportandpatienceJeffhasofferedmethroughthestringofall-
consuming deadlines associated with this book project, and I am also
thankful for the enthusiasm with which he took on the project of the
cover art. I am proud that his artistic talent can be displayed across the
frontofthiswork.
Last,Iwanttothank,aboveall,myfamilyfortheirlove,support,and
humor, without which I could not accomplish much at all. They are the
enduring “dialogue partners” of my life. I am forever indebted to them
forteachingmemoreaboutthepracticeofengagedconversation,ethics,
and“openness”thanIcouldeverhopetoextractfromanybook.
